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Monthly Archives: August 2012

What a GREAT weekend! Seventy-four players from around the state of Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Kansas particpated in the two-day 2012 KBA High School High Exposure Camp. The college coaches in attendance loved the schedule and the talent (I know of several kids who coaches talked with at the camp). Coaches were able to see players go through individual skill sessions (put on by top-notch coaches) and 5 on 5 competition. Through Tuesday morning there were already over 4,000 total views of the games that were streamed and saved on www.playkba.ihigh.com.

Evan Daniels of Scout.com was in attendance, and had a great Q & A session in front of the campers. He drove home the point that the great players have work ethic that very few can match. He talked with the campers about the importance of making good grades and staying out of trouble off of the court. Evan stated that coaches want to know “Can I trust you?” Players work in the classroom and off of the court are big determining factors in answering that question. Evan also mentioned the importance of players keeping their twitter and facebook accounts clean! We appreciate Evan taking the time to join us this weekend.

The camp showcased 25 Seniors, 22 Juniors, 18 Sophomores, and 8 Freshmen. Players were broken into 8 different teams, each coached by one of the coaches listed above. Each of the 11 coaches voted on the following awards: Camp MVP, Top Marksman, Top Defender, Top Playmaker, and All-Star Game MVP. Statistics were kept for all of the games over the weekend, so the Top Rebounder Award was not selected by vote, but rather by the statistics.

Now…The Camp Recap-

The energy and intensity of the weekend was phenominal from the get-go. Players were here to give it their all, and the competitive juices were flowing. Here are the award winners:

Camp MVP – Keifer Dalton – Clinton County High School – Sophomore

Coming into this camp I mentioned to a friend that Keifer was the “best point guard nobody has heard of.” That title is gone…now it is “one of the top 2015 Point Guards in the State.” Coaches in some AAU circles have known about Keifer, and what he did this weekend was nothing new, but playing at Class A school Clinton County can make it harder to get exposure after one year of high school basketball experience. Keifer’s teammates loved playing on his team. If they got into scoring position after he broke his man down, they would get open look after open look. His court vision and ability to make other players around him better was on display this weekend. It is very rare in these camp settings that players look to one guy to handle the ball. They are normally scared they won’t get enough shots or wouldn’t touch the ball. Keifer’s team was looking for to distribute the entire weekend, and 4 of the 11 coaches this weekend decided he was the MVP. Note: Tyler Harville of Lexington Christian received 3 votes, Jordan Henry of Bryan Station received 3 votes, and Ronnie Carson of East Jessamine received 1 vote for MVP.

Top Marksman – Tyler Harville – Lexington Christian Academy – Senior

Harville was on fire this weekend. A known 3 Point Specialist, Harville did not dissapoint. Tyler connected on 23 of 44 (55%) from the 3 point line, and hit more 3s over the weekend than 5 of the 8 teams made the entire weekend! Take into account that Harville’s team went undefeated, and several of his team’s games were blowouts. Battling shin splints the entire weekend, Harville’s minutes were limited during those games.

Other Top Marksmen:

Kirkland Humphrey – Madison Central, Soph – 13/22 (59%)

Jordan Henry – Bryan Station, Jr – 11/21 (54%)

Brad Calipari – Lexington Christian, Soph – 9/22 (41%)

Tanner White – Ryle, Jr – 9/24 (38%)

Top Playmaker – Jordan Henry – Bryan Station High School – Junior

Jordan Henry was almost unanimous to win this award. Jordan led the camp in scoring (23.8 ppg) while shooting 58% from inside the arc, and 52% from outside the arc. Jordan was in the discussion for top defender, and finished tied for second in voting for MVP. Henry was unguardable over the weekend. He got to the rim with ease and finished with explosive and acrobatic moves. On defense he used his instincts to read passing lanes and take the ball from anyone who was not careful. This is a player who is set to explode on the high school scene. Other Top Playmakers: Ronnie Carson – East Jessamine, Soph. Kirkland Humphrey – Madison Central, Soph & C.J. Walker – Bryan Station, Soph

Top Defender – Taylor King – Paul Lawrence Dunbar – Senior

Taylor King had a great weekend. He started by winning the camp slam dunk competition with a nice alley-oop off of the backboard to himself followed by a two-handed 360 dunk. Taylor blocked or altered almost every shot in the paint this weekend. He showed flashes of a solid post game, but as is the norm at most camps, did not get the ball as often as he probably needed. Taylor’s intensity level was always high, and that carried over into a starting spot in the all-star game.

The big man from North Laurel was very impressive from the start. When you stand 6’8”, people have high expectations, and Jake Allen did not dissapoint. Jake finished the camp with averages of 14.4 PPG and a camp-leading 7.6 RPG. There was a tendency from Jake to float around the perimeter (he did connect on 4 of 8 3 point field goals), but when Jake went inside he was unstoppable. He showed a great touch around the rim and great footwork to make an array of moves. Jake will be a big part of North Laurel’s plans to repeat as 13th Region Champions. Other Top Rebounders: Rashawn Jackson (7.2 RPG) – West Jessamine, Jr Austin Rush (6.6 RPG) – North Laurel, Sr

2012 KBA High School High Exposure Camp All Star Team:

East: Coach Andre Mahorn

G Tyler Brewer – Harlan Co, SR : The athletic guard can get to the rim and score almost at will. Brewer scored 14 points in the game, most coming in the second half.

G Jordan Henry – Bryan Station, JR : Henry had some highlight plays to finish a weekend of playing high level basketball.

F Alex Avery – Fern Creek, SR : Avery was one of the top college prospects in the building this weekend. A few of his dunks brought everyone to their feet, and his complete skill set was on display this weekend. Several college coaches told me he is now on their radar.

G CJ Walker – Bryan Station, SO : Walker was playing out of position most of the weekend and still played well. It is natural for him to get others involved and make his teammates better. The outside shots he hit this weekend spell trouble for his competiton. Walker was another player coaches were asking about this weekend.

F Reshawn Jackson – West Jessamine, SO : Something clicked for Jackson this weekend. He hit some incredible shots from all over the court, and finished strong around the basket several times.

G Jaylin White – Tates Creek, SO : White has tremendous talent. He hit several 3’s from beyond 30 feet this weekend. If Jaylin really learns the game, the sky is the limit for him.

West: Coach Shawn Thacker

G Keifer Dalton – Clinton County, SO : The camp MVP had a good game to cap off a great weekend. His ability to break down defenders and get where he wanted to get on the court was not hindered even by the best players at the camp.

G Tyler Harville – Lexington Christian, SR * All-Star Game MVP* : Harville had another great game and kept his undefeated weekend alive. He finished with 16 points, including some big free throws down the stretch to seal the West victory.

C Jake Allen – North Laurel, JR : Allen used his great size and footwork to help his team win this game. He was another player whose teams did not lose a game over the weekend.

F Kyle Tackett – Franklin, TN, SR : Tackett was 1 of 10 unanimous All-Star selections. A coaches dream, Tackett does everything well, and has a high motor to make plays happen.

G Ronnie Carson – East Jessamine, SO : Carson was another player who really made a name for himself this weekend. He is unguardable off the dribble, and has great footwork and touch around the basket to score.

F Ian Davis – Tates Creek, JR : Davis was selected because of his high motor. Ian was non-stop action all weekend, and did everything well. It was fitting that he finished the camp with gauze in his nose to stop it from bleeding due to a blow he took in an earlier game. If I am playing, I want this guy on my team!

G Jalen Oliver – Frankfort, SR : Jalen is a natural scorer. Quick off the bounce and a fast release, Jalen can get his shot off whenever he wants. I expect him to have some high numbers in at least a few box scores this season.

F Tyler Smith – Bryan Station, SR : Smith is another player who several coaches asked me about. He finished the All-Star game with 10 pts and 6 rebounds. Tyler does many things well, and can defend four different positions on the court.

G Alex Sergent – Harlan County, SR : The strong guard out of Harlan County can defend and shoot the ball well. A backcourt of himself and Brewer will be a coach’s nightmare in the 13th Region this year.

G Tyler Thacker – Rowan Co, JR : Thacker injured his shoulder and could not participate in the All Star Game. One of the top players in the camp, he showed is great ability to score and draw contact.

Other Players Receiving All Star Votes:

G Kirkland Humphrey – Madison Central, SO : Humphrey can go! He is a hard nosed guard with a knack for scoring the ball. No situation was too big for him this weekend, and he really impressed.

G Cameron Brown – Fern Creek, SR : 6’4 and very athletic, Brown can do everything. His scoring ability was on display throughout the weekend, but an injury the first day of the camp slowed him some. Brown will have no problems finding a school to play for at the next level.

G Conner Greene – East Carter, SO : Conner showed his competitive nature and scoring ability throughout the weekend. I know we will hear more from Conner

G/F Desmond Duke – Tates Creek, SO : Duke is a player who can do it all and really impressed this weekend. He averaged 11.6 PPG and was also a tough defender.

G/F Travis Hardcastle – South Warren, SO : Travis could have easily been an All Star selection. He has a great basketball body, and his ability to score from all areas of the court was on display this weekend.

This past weekend was just the beginning. The KBA was proud to host such a great group of kids! There is no doubt in my mind the names you are reading in this post will be the same names you will be reading in publications throughout the state in the seasons ahead. If anyone wants a hard copy DVD of any of the games played this weekend, contact us at the KBA – 859.219.9272.